Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts

Media Resource Center

The Media Resource Center, a service of the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts, is a working library of non-book materials: CDs, videos, digital audio tapes (DATs) and regular cassette tapes, digital video discs (DVDs) and long-playing records (LPs). These are available to anyone who wishes to use them in the Ruby Grant Fine Arts Library. Faculty, staff and graduate students (but not undergraduates) may also borrow items for short periods. Location
The MRC is the enclosed unit within the Fine Arts Library on the lower level of the Catlett Music Center, located at the corner of Boyd and Elm on the Norman Campus of OU. Once through the Fine Arts Library doors, follow the signs to the MRC (turning right, past the main library counter).

Resources and services

Listening & viewing resources

The MRC has many types of media covering a wide range of performances in ballet, drama, musical theatre, opera and music—from the contemporary to the classics. These are both commercially available recordings and copies of performances given by faculty, staff and students at OU.

CD, audio cassette, TV, video, DAT and record playing equipment on which to hear or view items in the library.

Headphones so you can listen or watch in comfort without disturbing your neighbors.

Media classroom
A room just across from the MRC is set up for group listening and viewing and may be used for private studies as well.

Copying resources
The School of Music arranges for recordings to be made of nearly all performances and recitals given by the College of Fine Arts. Copies can be made for performers, faculty and staff, and, with the performers’ permission, for other interested parties. A small charge is made to the person’s bursar’s account. For copyright reasons, commercial recordings may be duplicated only in limited circumstances. For details on all copying, see the center’s duplication policy.

Collections

Over 4,500 commercially recorded CDs

Over 1,100 DATs and 1,000 CDs of OU performances and recitals

Over 10,000 LPs

The catalog
The MRC has a computerized catalog, including a public-access terminal, for patrons to search. The computer catalog includes details of all the CDs, DATs, DVDs and videos in the collection, but only about 1000 of the records. The remainder of the record collection is cataloged on cards. The MRC catalog is not currently integrated with the rest of the OU library collection and is therefore only available to patrons who visit the MRC in person. Plans are under way for the MRC catalog to be made accessible online.

Who we are

Robin Noad: media resource specialist, normally available Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm. Noad has professional library qualifications from England (his homeland) and is also an experienced singer and performer in operetta and musical theatre.